News Release

Major reconstruction of New Prague main street (Hwy 19) planned

Public invited to open house

In cooperation with the the City of New Prague, the Minnesota Department of Transportation will be hosting a public open house June 7 at New Prague City Hall (Council Chambers) at
118 Central Avenue North, New Prague from 5 to 7 p.m.

There will be no formal presentation, but attendees are invited to come and go at any time during the open house that is convenient for them.

The open house is intended to give residents and the public an opportunity to meet with project staff, learn about the project’s purpose and need, and provide insight into the future vision for downtown Main Street in New Prague.

The proposed extent of the project is Main Street (Highway 19), from Highway 21 on the west to 7th Avenue SE on the east. The project will include reconstruction of underground utilities (sanitary sewer, water main, and storm sewer) as well as reconstruction of the roadway, including curb & gutter, sidewalks, landscaping and street lighting.

Through the downtown, the work will extend from building face to building face. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring of 2020.

The Open House materials will include information on existing traffic and roadway conditions, parking utilization through the corridor and an initial evaluation of potential parking configurations on Main Street in the downtown core. In addition, the public will be asked to share issues or concerns they would like to see addressed as part of the reconstruction project.

This is a legacy project for the City of New Prague. The need to replace the aging infrastructure below the roadway provides a rare opportunity for the community to completely rebuild Main Street, setting the stage for the next 50 years in downtown New Prague. This is the first of many upcoming opportunities for the residents and businesses of New Prague to share their vision and learn more about the project process and schedule. As part of the community engagement process, a stakeholder committee was formed and members of the committee will be in attendance along with project staff from the City and MnDOT.